Wordless Wednesday -- Deep In Thought

Letting Go And Rejoicing

I'm in the process of realizing that there are a few things in my life that have become ... well ... toxic for me. One is a lifestyle choice and the other is a friendship.

It's amazing to me that I've struggled with both of these "things" for a long, long time now. Both have given me a somewhat uncomfortable feeling inside whenever I allow myself to come face to face with their ugliness, yet I haven't known how to deal with them. I wanted to make what I knew were necessary changes -- but I didn't know how. I didn't want to create anxiety for anyone else that might be affected by my decisions and for whatever reason, the timing just didn't feel right.

Recently, it's become apparent to me that both of these particular problem areas have kind of worked themselves out -- without any assistance on my end. It just happened.

"God's timing" as a friend said to me. And oh, she is so right.

Ultimately, I didn't really need to do anything except acknowledge that what was once a part of my life no longer had a stranglehold on me, was no longer significant, no longer mattered to me one way or another. It didn't take any effort on my part. I simply knew it was time to let go.

And I believe I have been able to do just that. Effortlessly. Without worry. Without sadness. Peacefully. Content that these changes are what is best for me.

The freedom that comes from the release is just ... exhilirating.

Thank You sweet Jesus ... for your perfect timing. For knowing me better than I know myself. For keeping me in your care and comfort during the struggle. And for being with me as I rejoice in my newfound freedom.

The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life. -- Psalm 121:7

September Is Winding Down ...

It occurred to me this morning as I was looking at my calendar that September has practically FLOWN by and here I sit with two blog posts talking about how I'm going to accomplish all these wonderful things each month.

And I realized I only have 4 days to finish up the book I'm currently reading (The School of Essential Ingredients) and to learn the basics of Photoshop.

Hmmm. The book I can finish. I'm about half way through and if I put my nose to the grindstone (read that -- goof off enough) I can easily reach the end with a few days to spare.

Besides, I'm itching to read my October selection (The Wicked Witch Murder) ...

However, it's the goal of learning the basics of Photoshop that has me nervous.

There really isn't any way that's going to happen. I have barely started on that project. I'll have to spend the next 4 days focusing solely on watching videos at Lynda.com in order to make that dream come true.

So -- while I'm going to give it as much time as I can, I suspect I'm going to be carrying over the "Learn Photoshop" goal into October. And somehow I'll try to accomplish the October goals by Halloween as well.

Should be interesting. If nothing else, it will be a lesson in time management (which I desperately need!)

My 12-in-12 Reading List

Ahhh. It's not just limited to learning new things (see my previous post) ... it's about making sure that there is some fun reading happening on a regular basis.

Yes -- I am guilty of reading way too many non-fiction, educational or health-related books. And cookbooks. I love cookbooks and well, they really aren't the same thing.

So this list is being created in an effort to make sure that I'm challenging myself to read at least one book every month that is purely for pleasure. Chick Lit, Mysteries, Historical Romance ... whatever. It just should be that kind of book.

I actually already started on this and am just getting around to blogging about it. I'm also planning on using the creation of a Reading Challenge the theme of an Excel spreadsheet I'm planning to create as part of my Learn MS Office 2010 program. But I digress. Here's what I have planned for the coming year.

August: A Vintage Affair (Done. Loved it. Suggested by Meghan. Not my typical read and I loved the change.)

September: The School of Essential Ingredients (In progress. Another suggestion of Meghan's that I'm thoroughly enjoying.)

October: The Wicked Witch Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery)

November: The Penny Pincher's Club

December: Fever Dream

January: A Reliable Wife

February: Home Safe

March: Little Women (Yes -- this will be the first time I've read this classic. I'm embarrassed to admit it but hopefully it will just be the first of many classics that I'll be reading in the future.)

April: The Shack

May: The Art Of Racing In The Rain

June: Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal

July: These Is My Words

Most of these books I either already have sitting in my "To Read" pile next to my bed or they are downloaded onto my Nook and are ready any time I can get to them. I'm really hoping that I will have read all these books well before the month they have been slotted to. Really my goal in having this list is to keep these books at the forefront of my mind so when I'm thinking, "Hmmm. What next?" I will have a go-to list to refer to. It's so easy to forget about all the great books waiting for you when you step into Barnes and Noble and see all the new releases.

Just a note to self -- there are several other books that I'm hoping to get to as well -- Broken Into Beautiful (Gwen Smith), Mosaic (Amy Grant), Born To Run ... just to name a few.

My plan is to do a quick book review after I complete each title. Keeping my fingers crossed about that one!

Update 9/28/10: Add Merle's Door: Lessons From A Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote to the list!

My Learn 12 in 12 List ...

A few weeks ago I came across a blog that was challenging readers to learn something new every month. They called it "Learn 12-in-12" (I think. I apparently didn't bookmark the site and now can't seem to find it! Argggg.)

I thought it was a great idea ... there are SO many things I'd like to do or accomplish and/or learn that I never seem to get around to or that I put on the back burner (with all the other pots) for "someday" when I have the time.

Maybe if I make it a point to make it a focus point it'll happen? Worth a try.

So -- even though I can't find the original site to link up to I decided to make up my own "Learn 12-in-12" list and give it a go.

Here's what I have planned:

September: Learn the basics of Photoshop

October: Learn some jewelry making techniques and try out polymer clay AND learn to use Microsoft Office 2010

November: Learn the basics of Illustrator

December: Make quilt for guest room. This will mean learning to machine quilt.

January: Learn the basics of Cardmaking

February: Learn how to create a photo cookbook to put on CD

March: Learn how to do basic dog grooming

April: Start a running program

May: Start a container garden

June: Make plans to attend a Blogging Conference

July: Learn about lighting techniques in Photography

August: Start to learn to speak Italian (I'm dreaming of a trip there some day.)

That should be a year's worth of learning. But it really isn't enough. I already know that I won't be able to hold off learning a few of these things. Like photography techniques ... ideally I would like to break it down and focus on learning different aspects of photography each month -- perhaps focusing on pet photography one month, outdoor photography another, portraits in yet another,

I guess I'm saying that I'm expecting this list to change. And I think that's OK. The goal isn't really about accomplishing each of these things in a one-month period of time, it's about getting started. (Maybe I should have chosen easier things to learn -- some people listed things like learning to crochet or knit, learning to make bread, etc. I think the problem there is I've done all the easier stuff. I'm getting to the bottom of my "learn to" list and everything is time consuming now!)

For now -- I'm focusing on learning Photoshop. I've signed on with Lynda.com to get some great visual training and I've downloaded a trial version of Photoshop CS5 to work with. My goal isn't really to learn photo-editing techniques (although I'm very interested in that too!) -- right now I am trying to learn the graphic design end of things so I can pursue blog design.

Which is really what I should be working on now ... so ... I'm off!

You've Got To Be Kidding ...

Like most everybody else, I like to have an inkling of what's going on in the world. I'm not a CNN fanatic, nor do I buy a copy of STAR or The National Enquirer when I'm checking out at the grocery store. I am happy to know just enough to keep me in the loop and be somewhat conversational -- if only to be able to ask, "Yeah, I saw something about that ... what's it all about?" (sometimes a good social strategy if you're trying to make conversation but really don't have a clue -- let the other person do the talking and be the knowledgable one ...)

But every now and then I glance at the entertainment module headlines that splash across my Google reader and my mouth drops. I mean ... seriously ... how stupid can these people be?

*  Paris Hilton pleas guilty to a lesser charge to get out of a felony cocaine conviction. With all the legal troubles this girl has had and all the privileges that her family's fame and fortune have provided her, does she really need cocaine? And after getting detained for questioning about pot and who knows what else just a month or so ago, is she really stupid enough to have cocaine (and that much) on her person? And not for nothing, did she really think the cops were going to buy her "it belongs to a friend" story about the purse? What is WRONG with that girl?

*  Lindsay Lohan. This girl is just a perpetual train wreck. She failed her drug test which now puts her in violation of her parole (and basically just threw yet another stint in rehab out the window.) Did she not see this coming when she decided to imbibe? I get so tired of hearing "It's a disease and it takes time ...." and that she's worried this might be damaging to her career. What career? About the only thing she's famous for these days is getting arrested and doing drugs.

*  Randy Quaid gets arrested for living in the guest house of the place he used to own without the owner's permission? After getting arrested last year for refusing to pay up on a hotel bill (about $10,000 wasn't it?)

When I read this stuff (and this is just the headlines -- I'm sure you can tell from my lack of details that I don't delve too far into the articles ... ) my heart just wants to scream. These people have all been given privileges that most of us would give our wisdom teeth for. Who wouldn't like to have money be a non-issue, list shopping (and buying) as your favorite hobby, live in a home that someone else keeps clean and that's been professionally decorated, be able to travel and stay at the nicest places, get tickets to your favorite events and concerts, etc.

And yet it just seems that it's not enough. What a waste. What an abuse of privilege. What foolishness ...

I am so very happy to be just little 'ole me ... with bills to pay, windows that need drapes, and a car on its last legs. I'm blessed beyond measure to have a Lord and Savior who thinks I'm just perfect, a husband who adores me, and a family to love.  You won't be seeing my name in the headlines anytime soon ... and I'm very thankful for it.

Enough said. Back to real life!

Wordless Wednesday -- Lessons For People

I Want HER Life ... I Want To Be THAT Girl

I'm not sure if this post will ever see the light of day but for now, I just feel I need to get some of this down in writing (or print as the case may be.) Sometimes my mind is just so filled up with a gazillion thoughts that it's hard for me to sort them out. Writing helps.

I'm inspired to write this because I just went on what I like to call "my a.m. blog cruise." Just about every morning, I check out several of my very favorite blogs and find myself almost feeling like a stalker (which is why I'm not going to list the blogs I actually visit every day -- sometimes more than once. It makes me feel a little creepy!) To continue ...

I find myself wishing I could be that person. I seem to think that their lives are so much more interesting than my own life is. I admire the posts they write. I am in awe of the wonderful projects they are involved in ... their graphic design ability, their photography skill, their cooking or crafting abilities -- the fact that they are so passionate about what they do that they have hundreds (perhaps thousands) of readers just like me anxiously awaiting the next thing they are going to tell us about. I follow their blogs, I'm one of their Facebook Fans, I even check their Twitter accounts (and I don't Twitter.)

Yep. That's me. The gal on the sidelines wishing I was living someone else's life. And today I couldn't help but wonder what it would actually be like to be that person. What it would be like to be THAT Girl.

(Image of Marlo Thomas found on Google Images.)

Who would I be? What would I be passionate about? What kind of business would I be involved in that I would love unconditionally -- with the only reason that I'm even doing it being because it just brought me so much joy? What would be THAT important to me?

These are the questions I'm going to ponder today. I have several interests (obviously the blogs I follow are a reflection of those interests and the inspirations that I'm drawn to) but what really ranks on top? If I could narrow it down to just a couple of hobbies (maybe interests is a better way of putting it) what would they be? And what is it about these women that I find so intriguing? So compelling? So ... fascinating?

And I'm wondering that once I've discovered this about myself -- how do I BECOME that person?

So now I'm off to begin some thoughtful self-inquiry ...  especially since I see it's already 11:00 a.m. and I'm still in my PJ's and the house is a mess. I can assure you that the women who write the blogs I follow are up at the crack of dawn, have exercised, showered, had some quiet time for devotions, are dressed in something other than jammies and are now ready to spend their day in the pursuit of inner bliss (doing whatever it is that makes their heart sing) -- all by 9 a.m.

If nothing else, I already KNOW I want to be THAT Girl.

What I Tell You?

Well, I'm laughing ... and I was in need of a good laugh.

The story is one only I will probably appreciate because I'm the grandma and well, we grandmas just think everything our grandbabies do is just adorable and sweet, and we get great pleasure thinking about our little grandbabies clever antics over and over again. Especially when we're missing them. So please indulge me this little memory.

Giggles are the best ...

Here's the giggle.

When we were visiting last weekend Josh told us how he had been playing with William and he picked up one of his toy cars and smelled it. (Don't ask me why he smelled it. I can only imagine.) And William said, "Don't smell car Daddy."

So Josh, being the antagonist that he can sometimes be, smelled it again. And again William said, "Don't smell car Daddy."

So of course Josh smelled it once again. And with that William took the car from him and said, "What I tell you?"

Now he just turned 2 a couple days ago so that kind of conversation just had us roaring with laughter. William was there as Josh was telling us about it and we could see the delight in his face as he listened and realized that his antics had us all laughing hysterically.

So now -- every so often -- when an appropriate opportunity arises, my wonderful hubby will say to me, "What I tell you?" He just sent that to me via a text when I let him know that the fix he suggested to get my computer's volume working again was a success.

And I laugh and smile all over again. Life can be so sweet.

Planning Our Weekend -- Will It Be The North End?

Image from Google Images -- Boston's North End)

One of the changes that I really looked forward to when we moved was having weekends to ourselves. That might sound selfish but back in New York where we had a house (with a BIG yard) and family it seemed that our weekends were always filled up with yard work, house work, babysitting, visits to see the mothers ... and not a whole lot of relaxation and adventure time devoted just to US. It always seemed like it was busy, busy, busy right from the get-go. We'd find ourselves looking at each other on Sunday evening and wondering where the weekend had gone.

(Image courtesy of Google -- Boston's North End)

Another problem was that we failed to plan. We just waited for the weekend to arrive and figured it out as we went along. I'd find myself hanging out waiting for Dave to get up and let me know what he wanted to do (did he have yard work he wanted to get done? Maybe a house project to work on ... which might mean a trip to Lowes?) And inevitably, there would be a phone call that would rearrange any plans we did make.

Frustrating.

I have a friend who plans out her weekend from start to finish. Typically when Saturday morning rolls around she already has plans to meet a friend for coffee and bagels before she does her grocery shopping and errands. She might make plans to attend some sort of exhibit or event in the afternoon (after stopping off at a new place she's heard about for lunch.) There is most likely a special dinner planned (at home or out with friends) and then a music concert in the evening or perhaps a movie playing at the theater she wants to see. She might have agreed to have her grandbabies overnight (which would mean special fun and breakfast planned for Sunday morning ...) You get the idea ... not a moment wasted. She might even just plan an afternoon of lounging on the couch with a good book and a pot of soup on the stove.

My point is that before the weekend even started she knew what she was going to do. There would be no waffling come Monday morning when coworkers asked what she did that weekend ... she could rattle off all the fun ways she chose to enjoy and relax during her time off from the grindstone.

(Image courtesy of Google -- Paul Revere Statue in Boston's North End)

I want to be like that. We just never seemed to take the time to plan and it seemed as though our weekends were mostly spent taking care of something or someone. "We" were never really a part of the weekend equation.

Now we are in Massachusetts. We live in a townhouse and the yardwork is done for us. While we have projects we want to work on around the house, there is a whole lot of time for doing fun things. Like exploring, relaxing, cooking, discovering new hobbies (or just getting back into the ones we'd kind of abandoned when we found ourselves spending Sundays visiting our mothers.)

It's time to start planning our weekends. No more waking up *whenever* on Saturday and spending 2 hours trying to decide whether to have breakfast or hold off for lunch. No more spending half the day trying to decide what fun adventure we'd like to embark on (only to realize after finally making a decision that the place was closed or there now wasn't enough time) ...

Admittedly, so far it's been so rare that a weekend comes along that we're home that when one does, we're just thrilled to be here and haven't really made plans. But we have a fairly long stretch of weekends ahead without company or travel that we can really start having some fun. I really don't want to fall back into the "what 'cha wanna dooooo?" habit so it's time to start making plans.

So far, we're thinking of taking the train (which we've never done) into Boston and exploring the North End, finding someplace to stop for lunch (I already have a list of possibilities.) And we heard there's an AppleFest in Northborough that sounds like fun. And Dave just sent me a text saying there's a Seafood Festival in Hampton Beach (New Hampshire) that has the promise of great food.

(Image courtesy of Google -- an eatery in Boston's North End)

Now it's just a question of logistics. What are we choosing and when do we go? THAT'S our Friday night activity!

Sometimes Our Best Laid Plans ...

(Image from Google Images)

Today my heart is sad. A call last night brought news of yet more upheaval in the life of a someone I love dearly.  It doesn't seem fair and I hate that I can't be there to show my love and offer support in person.

So -- today isn't going as I planned, certainly not as I had hoped, but I'm still rather certain that our good Lord is going to turn it all into something marvelous. I believe it with all my heart.

I've asked some dear friends to pray along with me as this situation finds resolution. Isn't it a blessing to know that there are people in your life that you know will stand beside you and pray with you when you need it most? I find it most comforting. And I am grateful for each and every one of you.

xoxo

I Promise That Tomorrow ...

* I will get up early and exercise BEFORE getting on the computer
* I will get the office organized and functional BEFORE getting on the computer
* I will work on my lessons BEFORE I get on the computer (well, lessons are on the computer but I won't check my email and Facebook)
* I will eat healthy and stick with it ALL. DAY. LONG.
* I will not worry about Bree -- I will lay it all at His feet and then I will let it go.
* I will be thankful and grateful and appreciative for my many blessings. I'll be happy with all I have instead of wishing for what I have not..

* I will resist playing Bejeweled. Really. No Bejeweled.

Tomorrow is going to be a very hard day!

Thinking About Yoga ...

I've often thought about trying yoga. I've read so many articles where it was *briefly* mentioned as part of some very slim and totally fit person's fitness regimen and wondered if there was more to it than just exercise for days when you need a break from the really physical stuff.

I've  also considered it *thin person* exercise ... you have to be thin and agile to be able to stretch and bend and move around like yoga demands right?

(Image courtesy of Google Images)

Apparently I've got it all wrong.

I was checking out a recipe posted at Simply Real Food (yes, the post for Roasted Corn and Poblano Pizza which I won't be making because all the dairy in it will just take me over the edge but oh, it looks so yummy!!!) and I scrolled down a bit and saw a post about yoga for weight loss.

I have to admit the opening comments about yoga being great to reduce stress, which produces cortisol which leads to weight gain caught my eye. It made sense.

So I continued on ... well ... I'm not going to rewrite the whole post ... check it out ... yoga for weight loss.

I'm thinking maybe I should pull out a few of those yoga DVDs and VHS tapes (yep -- I still have a VCR and tapes ... why throw them away when they can still be used? I've started watching some of my old favorite movies that I have on VHS while working out on my elliptical machine!) that I've been holding on to for all these years waiting to get thin enough to give them a try. And maybe I'll give them a try even though I'm not thin (YET!)

And now, back to Simply Real Food to see what other real food recipes Chanelle might have lurking about in her archives!

Wordless Wednesday -- Quiet Time

I'm Home ... With A Busy Week Ahead!

Sigh. A wonderful weekend with family. I was able to visit with my mom three times. 3! And saw my mother-in-law twice. Saw my daughter twice. Saw my brother and his wife once. Saw my son and his wife and WILLIAM three times.

Yes. It was wonderful. :)  BUT NOW ...

I'm home and have had a (somewhat) good night of sleep. It's time to get serious. No travel plans on the horizon and nothing in the way of success. That means:

* my office is going to get organized this week
* I am going to start my Photoshop lessons
* I am going to work on my blog design class lessons
* I am going to order a new mattress set
* I am going to take my sewing machine in for a tuneup/overhaul
* I am going to exercise every day
* I am going to plan a healthy menu for Dave and I

AND I AM GOING TO STICK TO MY LIST!

Progress reports will be posted throughout the week. Along with recipes and photos from the weekend.

It feels good to be home!

Note:  9/7/10 -- I'm off to a good start ... the new mattress set is now ordered!

We Are Off ...

We are heading to New York for the weekend -- and it should be loaded with fun. I'm anxious to see my mom, my daughter (who's getting ready to move to a new apartment!), my son and his wife, and of course, Cheeks. The birthday boy. He's going to be 2 this coming week and we're having a party on Sunday!

I can't wait to see this sweet face ...

Sigh ... It's All About Choices ...

This morning I stood in front of the pantry and grumbled. Yes, I grumbled. "Where are the cookies, the potato chips, the crunchy munchy yummy foods that I want to devour?" me said to me.

Oh yeah. I threw them out.

So I ate my fiber bar (it was yummy by the way) and then I snagged a couple of cashews (which, in truth, I really shouldn't be eating either ... they are roasted and salted. Raw almonds would have been much better for me.) And I made a cup of chai tea.

(No -- not me! Image courtesy of Google.com)

Still feeling a little miserable that I couldn't find anything worthy of a food cheat, I opened my email and read my Postcard From Gusto, which, as usual, spoke directly to my inner-most self. It said:

"If there's any part of your life that isn't as you want it to be, you don't have to accept it as is. You can always, in some way or another, do something about it.

The first step is remembering that you have choices. Always. In every situation. No exceptions.

The second step is taking action. Do one thing. Take one step. Make one small adjustment ... "What once was" will immediately change into something else.

Your number-one fan,
Gusto

And oh ... And if you want to create a shift really quickly, then in addition to step one and two, decide "This is going to be easy."

I love when that happens. A little kick in my pants sent my way to remind me where my head needs to be.

Who cares about cookies? What once was ... has become something else. Like an intention to care about my health.

And it's on with my day. :)

About The Diet ...

(No that's not me! Image courtesy of Google Images!)

I have been putting off writing this post for way too long, trying to formulate in my mind exactly what I want it to be. Should I list the do's and don'ts I plan to follow? Should I go into detail about the lifestyle changes I want to make? Should I explain why I feel the need to eat the way I plan to eat?

Well, I should probably get all of that information down in writing to some degree but really it boils down to this: I want to be healthy. I want to lose weight. I want to feel good about myself. And I want to be fit (meaning I want my body to work the way it should -- without aches and pains during or after movement!)

So that about sums it up. Right now, I'm overweight. About 50 pounds overweight (as much as it just KILLS me to admit that.) I know that I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high liver enzyme levels (thanks to a really crummy SAD diet that is loaded with fat and toxins), and I'm bordering on having diabetes. Yup, I'm kind of out of whack. And I hate it. Hate it. HATE IT!!!

But happily, I know I can turn all this around. All of the health issues I am facing can be reversed and actually managed quite naturally if I change my diet and eating habits and start exercising. SOOOOO -- that's what I'm going to do.

So what's my "Plan"? I'm going to start eating real food. Mostly plants. Not too much. (Yes, I'm borrowing that from Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food and Food Rules ... a very wise man.) In addition to that I'm going to eliminate sugar from my diet (as much as possible anyway ... mostly I'm just planning to give up eating stuff like cookies, cake, and other just about every condiment going.

(Nope, not me either! Image courtesy of Google Images)

It means staying away from processed foods as much as possible. You know, all the stuff that comes in a box. The whites -- sugar, flour, pasta, rice, potatoes, salt.

I'm giving up dairy. And I plan to limit the fats I use to cook to olive oil.

As much as possible I plan to follow the guidelines promoted by Dr. Joel Fuhrman in his book Eat To Live, Mostly what I plan to eat are fruits, veggies, lean proteins (beans and some meat and eggs), and some whole grains. That's about it.

As for exercise -- well, yeah. I need some. Daily. Since I'm not much for going to a gym and putting myself on display for all the world to see when I look my absolute worst, I'm opting for the home gym routine. I have a treadmill (albeit, a dusty one!) and an elliptical machine. I have an area set up in our basement that has a TV with a DVD player and VCR so I can exercise along with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds routines. I also have some hand weights and a rebounder. So I think if I can just get myself down there once or twice a day, I've got the exercise covered. (I will admit though -- I like to get outside and walk too and I have aspirations of becoming a runner. Someday. Someday. But I digress.)

(Maybe someday this will be me ... Image courtesy of Google Images)

So that's my plan. Eat nutritionally dense food, Stay away from the processed "white" stuff. And exercise. I would love to be at my goal weight by my birthday at the end of February, so I have that timeline kind of wedged in the back of my mind, but I figure I'm in this for the long run. Even after I reach my goals, I'm going to continue on with leading a healthy lifestyle so it really doesn't matter. I know my weight, health, and fitness levels will all get to where they are meant to be if I just stick with it.

I'm planning to share my progress. And recipes. And frustrations (which are sure to come.) And I would love some encouragement! Support is so important!

There it is.

Fabulous Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo!

As we are gearing up to healthier eating I've been going through cookbooks looking for recipes that are appealing and yet fairly simple to make. Last night I decided to try this recipe for Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave cookbook.

(image courtesy of Google Images)

Oh. My. Goodness.

It was a hit. It was MORE than a hit. It was fabulous. Company-worthy. Simply delicious. I'm having a bowl of it for lunch and am watching the clock tick away just waiting for noon to arrive.

Yes it was that good. And I'm just so delighted to have found a recipe that I can add to my new Healthy Go-To Recipes binder. I'm sharing it here with preparation notes and variation ideas.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

4 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
Pinch of salt (to taste)
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orzo, preferably whole wheat
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

(Note: Changes I made include eliminating the pinch of salt, adding more celery and carrot than recipe calls for, using 8 cups -- or 2 containers - chicken broth, and adding a large handful of baby spinach that has been roughly chopped a minute or two before serving.)

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add chicken (season with salt if desired) to pot and cook about 5 minutes -- just until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until he veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and keep the soup hot but not boiling.

Warm one cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually add and whisk the lemon juice into the eggs. Gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while. (Note: I now added 2 additional cups of broth to the soup in the pot to further cool it down as it was still almost simmering) Now add the egg-lemon mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Do NOT let the soup come to a boil (it will cook the egg). Add the cooked chicken to the soup. (Note: I also added spinach at this point.) Season with ground pepper and serve.

Now -- my additional notes. I felt like this recipe was the perfect base for a veggie soup. The chicken was delicious but probably wouldn't be missed if other ingredients were added -- such as zucchini, broccoli, or green beans (or even white beans instead of the orzo?) We loved the addition of the chopped spinach. I didn't feel the need for adding the salt and left it out, however my husband added salt to his bowl at the table. This soup was very filling -- and made enough for us to have two meals plus a cup or two for lunch.

This is going to be a regular at our house ... easy to make, lots of opportunity for advance prep (cook the chicken ahead of time and chop up the veggies and bag.) Not sure how well it would freeze with the egg in it -- so I'll plan on serving twice when I make it. Would be great with a nice side salad!